Resilient mesh has become an increasingly common fabric for use in seating and other applications. In furniture applications, the mesh is retained, typically under tension, by a peripheral framework. Mesh retained in such a manner has been employed as the sole support surface and in combination with subsidiary support surfaces in back, seat, and other furniture components. The present inventor has contributed to this art with a plurality of inventions, including the Elastomeric Material Application System disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,996,895, the Methods and Arrangements for Securing Fabric of U.S. Pat. No. 7,251,917, Post-Assembly Tension Adjustment in Elastomeric Material Applications as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 7,517,024, and the Task Chair with Dual Tilting Capabilities disclosed and protected by U.S. Pat. No. 7,806,478.
The use of resilient mesh in furniture support applications has been found to be advantageous for a number of reasons. In addition to the modern and clean appearance that mesh support panels provide, mesh is advantageous for its breathability. Resilient mesh also reduces areas of discomfort and excess pressure. Moreover, resilient mesh can be retained and potentially adjusted to have varied degrees of tension thereby to provide varied degrees of support for different areas of a person's body.
However, the use of elastomeric material as a support surface in seating has presented a number of design challenges. By way of example, it will be recognized that an elastomeric mesh seat, which often must bear the entire weight of the seat occupant, will be required to provide far greater support than an elastomeric mesh back of the same seat. The filaments of the elastomeric mesh employed for seat bottoms normally must be quite thick compared to those of the seat back. For example, the monofilaments for seat backs are commonly in the range of 0.2 to 0.3 mm while those of seat bottoms are commonly in the range of 0.7 mm. Accordingly, designers seeking to exploit breathable mesh for seat bottoms have found it necessary to use an entirely different material for the seat bottom as compared to the seat back.
The increased thickness of the seat bottom material requires added cost while not contributing to any enhanced comfort. Indeed, thick monofilament elastomeric mesh can be even more disadvantageous since it can “chew” on clothing even faster than its thinner counterpart.
Designers may seek to mix different mesh materials—a lighter filament for the seat back and a heavier material for the seat bottom. However, obtaining matching textures, colors, and appearances can be difficult or impossible. Of course, it is possible to add one or more supportive cushioning underlayers, but the addition of supportive cushioning in direct contact with the elastomeric material defeats the purpose of mesh for its breathability and sleek appearance.
With a knowledge of the foregoing, the present inventor has discovered that it would be advantageous to provide supplemental pelvic support in elastomeric material applications so that the advantageous characteristics of elastomeric mesh fabric can be exploited without the disadvantages summarized above. The present inventor has further appreciated that it would be advantageous to provide further pelvic positioning support to seat occupants to facilitate sound ergonomic positioning in mobile task chair and other seating applications.